Thumbs up, thumbs down

Published 4:28 pm, Monday, August 19, 2013

Thumbs up to Connecticut's high school Class of 2012 for achieving an 84.8 percent, four-year graduation rate. This was a 2.1 percent increase over 2011. Of the 42,883 students in the Class of 2012, 37,170 of them graduated on time. The improvement held true for subgroups, as well, including an increase of 4.4 percent of Hispanic graduates from 2011-12. The graduation statistics were a pleasing counterpoint to the disappointing report Friday on statewide test results. "This is the proof that when we invest in our children and teachers, we can and will achieve success," said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

Thumbs down to the Chicken Littles in Fairfield who called 911 to report that their cable service was out. For those in Fairfield who don't understand, we'll reiterate that 911 is for emergencies; missing Masterpiece Theater, while certainly irksome, just doesn't count. So many calls did they receive, that the Fairfield Police Department had to issue a statement reminding people that a cable outage is more appropriately reported to your cable provider, not to a switchboard that's responsible for handling life and death situations.

Thumbs down to the fact that a state court apparently is going to have to devote time, resources, personnel and money to a trial stemming from some squabbling at an Easton town meeting. Whether it was First Selectman Tom Herrmann or gadflies Robert "Bert" Webbe and John Bromer who were misbehaving in December 2012 it's a travesty that a judge and possibly a jury have to convene to consider the case, in which Webbe and Bromer were arrested. There has to be some way to resolve this case before the Oct. 9 trial date arrives.

Thumbs up to the city of Bridgeport's efforts to attract developers to a roughly six-acre area near the Webster Bank Arena and The Ballpark at Harbor Yard. This is the area once targeted by former NBA great Magic Johnson and his Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund development team. Alas, it was shortly after Johnson's visit to the city in September 2007 that the economy went into sharp decline and Johnson's plan for an entertainment facility on the site faltered. Now, though David Kooris, Bridgeport's economic development director, reports that five qualified groups have responded to the city's request for ideals for the sites, which now are merely surface parking lots.